CoG: Waking Dreamer
by NorthSouthGorem
Summary: A Self-Insert: read at your own risk. As an author, I make stories. That's a given. Stories starring the Gormim, my creations. However, one day I woke up and things were backwards. I became the character, and my characters became my author. Now I'm trapped in a different world, one where there are beings far more powerful than I. The only thing I have...is my dreams.
1. Chapter 1

AN: *sigh* Well, here it is. It was only a matter of time before I did a Self-Insert fic. Hopefully the stigma of the genre will not prevent people from liking or at least trying to read the story. Please keep in mind that the personality and narrative style displayed here are my actual thought processes. Or at least something close. Warning: This first chapter might be boring. Sorry, but I need a base to 'kick off' from.

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD.

"Speech"  
Text  
_Thoughts_  
_Inner Being to Outer Being/[Ddraige/Albion]_  
**Dragon/Beast**  
**Spell/Technique/[Sacred Gear]**

Chapter 1: Far From Home, In a Land Unknown

Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. I don't actually believe this saying, but I felt it would be an appropriate way to start this story.

Who am I? Sorry, but I don't feel like giving my real name. From here on out, though, you can call me Neseg. Yeah, weird name, I know. But it's fake so all's well and good.

Anyways…you're probably wondering what this is all about. To be honest, I've wondered that too, but that's neither here nor there. This is a story, to be read and hopefully enjoyed.

It all started one night, on an ordinary day for me. I was holed up in my room, doing what I normally do late into the early hours of the morning. By the time I went to bed, it was about 1:30. I've always had a good memory for such things, which is why I can even remember that. But what I remember the most was the dream.

As is normal for dreams, I don't know when mine began. All of a sudden, I found myself in a cold, wet darkness. There was an uncomfortable pressure, which squeezed me from all directions. There was nothing beneath my feet; my whole body was stretched throughout the abyss, weightless.

Slowly, I started to…sense things. Creatures moving, all around my body. I turned my head minutely, with great effort. I only caught a glimpse of several rather ugly fish, illuminated by stems growing from their heads, before they all scattered in a panic. _Why are there Angler Fish in here?_ I wondered vaguely.

As far as I knew, animals almost never appeared in my dreams. Except for the times when I turned into one, but I digress.

By now, I had realized that I was in the ocean. Somewhere so far down in the depths that not even sunlight could reach me. I felt a flicker of fear and tried to swim upwards, but my limbs refused to move even an inch. I couldn't even feel where they were; it felt like my legs had been fused together. Furiously, I tried kicking, but only managed a small, very uncomfortable motion. However, to my surprise, I felt myself shoot forward a great distance.

Once more I tried to move and received the same awkward 'this is not right' feeling, but I still moved. I angled my body upwards and started moving in earnest, only to be rewarded with the feeling of highly pressurized water rushing past me. _Yes! I'm doing it!_ I thought triumphantly. After several minutes of this, I started to see a faint glow above me. _Awesome! The sun!_ I wriggled, flexed, and shot towards the light. Within seconds, the glorious warmth hit my face as I broke the surface.

All around me was the pale blue of the sky, with the sun shining directly down on me. I shook my head, glad that after the darkness, the light was somehow not blinding to me. Then, abruptly, one of my thoughts pointed out that I had yet to actually blink, so of course I did just that. Or...I tried. I think I actually did blink, but for some reason I could still see the whole time. I craned my head around, taking a good look at my surroundings. Indeed, beneath me was the ocean, with the sky above me and the horizon off in the distance. It was a spectacular view, quite beautiful. Then I noticed that the ocean seemed to be further away than I thought. Was I floating in the air, now? I looked down and saw...

I came awake with a start. Blinking (and noticing that my eyelids seemed to work now), I wracked my brain quickly, trying to remember what I'd just seen at the end, there. Try as I might, though, I could not recall.

After a long debate whether I should get up or not, I finally rolled out of bed and onto my feet. The moment I did, however, I froze. "What the hell?" I whispered. This was most certainly not my room. It was much smaller, for one thing, and darker due to a lack of windows. "What the hell?" I repeated, louder this time. This couldn't be right. I had no memory of us (my family) going on vacation or anything of the like.

Cautiously, I explored the rest of the place. I quickly realized that I was in an apartment, with a decent amount of space (more than I could use realistically) and pretty good furnishings. I won't bore you with the details, but it was a nice place. Now, if only I weren't going out of my mind with fear. Why was I here? Why had I woken up in this place?

I noticed a neat envelope placed prominently on the bare kitchen table. Of course, there was no address, because that would be too easy, but it bore my name. My actual name, more specifically. The sender, however, made my heart pound particularly hard. Rather than a name, the paper bore a symbol. A symbol that was known to very few people, all of whom I knew and none of whom would think to use it. That, of course, was because it was a mark that I myself had invented. An Infinity, bisected horizontally by thin black line- or as I called it, the Negative Infinity.

Carefully, I ripped the envelope open and pulled out a letter. The handwriting on it was unfamiliar, but neat.

Dear [insert Alias here],

If you are reading this, you have no doubt already realized that you have ended up in a strange place. While I can sympathize with your confusion, I must inform you that you are very far from home indeed. Eventually, you will have the opportunity to return, but for now, you are...needed here, in this world. Indeed, this world is different from yours, but you will recognize it soon enough.

Contained in the envelope is a credit card. You need not worry about money, for yours will never run out; it would be best not to be tied down to a job at the moment. Your wallet, similarly, will always have the amount of cash you need. I suggest you not spend too much, of course; don't want to attract too much attention. Your flash-drive (you know the one) has been 'upgraded'- you shall soon realize how. This apartment is yours. All bills for it have been paid; payments will be given automatically.

Your family will not discover your absence, for time has grown still in your world. While I know it is not in your nature, I fully recommend that you get out of the apartment and do some exploring. At the very least, you will need food. I apologize in advance for the language barrier, but given time, that will cease to be a problem.

By now, you must be ever so confused...for that, I again apologize. However, I have a job to do, and I believe that ultimately, you will come to enjoy this experience.

You know who I am,

SD

PS: Keep your dreams in mind.  
PPS: The weather is a bit cold.

As I finished the letter, I faintly realized that I had sat down at some point, so engrossed was I in its contents. Taking a deep breath, I stared unseeingly down at the paper as I organized my thoughts.

Firstly, the statement that I was in another world. For an average human being besides myself, this might be met with skepticism or derision. However, I have always been a person who secretly believes in supernatural happenings. Moreover, certain details in the letter dispelled any potential thoughts about being kidnapped somehow.

Taking the envelope, I turned it over and shook a black credit card out onto the table. It was completely blank, but the center glowed iridescently as I tilted it cautiously. However, no other part of it reflected the light above, no matter how I turned it. Trudging into my new room, I quickly found my brown leather wallet and opened it. It was full of bills. However, they weren't the American dollars that I was used to. "Yen?" I muttered, taking one out and looking it over. It seemed that I was somehow in Japan. Joy. It was a good thing that I completed two years of Japanese in college before being transported here. Not only that, but as I looked around, I realized that nearly all of my normal furniture had somehow been transplanted into the room. My computer, my bed, my armchair (which I honestly didn't use all that much), my backpack, my bookshelves, which looked a lot larger than before, and my desk. I mentally added another tally to 'transported to a different world' column, got dressed and left.

Much to my dismay, the fridge was empty, as was the cabinet. Fortunately, I had a good supply of plates and such.

I found a key numbered 204 on a hook next to the door. Obviously that was to lock the door behind me, should I go out. Well...I _did_ need something to eat. Panicking after finding yourself in a strange apartment could inspire great hunger, I discovered. I collected my wallet, plus the key, and left.

As I exited my new living area, I glanced at the plate next to the door. Written on it in Katakana was the word ネセグ. Yup, definitely in Japan. Fuck my life.

Once I left the building, I discovered that the area was pretty nice, all things considered. The sun was shining brightly, with a few clouds here and there, and a few western-style houses lined the street. Venturing off to the left, I quickly found the town area, and started looking for a supermarket.

Inevitably, I passed a large number of people on my walk, all going about their own business. One or two of them gave me a glance or two, but said nothing. I supposed that was to be expected, given that I was the foreigner in this situation and looked it.

My hair was a deep brown, and tended to become quite shaggy when long. Combined with the fact I wasn't exactly diligent in taking care of it, the whole thing ended up looking decidedly fluffy. My soft-cheeked, solemn-looking face had a fine layer of stubble, from neglecting to shave more than once a week. Standing at five feet ten inches, I was a good deal taller than most of the people I encountered, though my bowed head made my height seem less impressive. I was a little on the hefty side, at least around the midsection, but my rumpled black sweatshirt did a good job of hiding my gut. Next most other guys, I would most likely fall towards the lower side of the 'attractiveness' scale. But then, I've never really been interested in a relationship that much anyway. Or at least, so I like to tell myself.

As I walked, my mind drifted to the final part of the letter that I'd found. I could not return home for a long time. That was (presumably) a fact. Normally I never, _ever_ liked being away from home for an extended period of time, especially without my family. I doubted very much that I could last very long on my own without breaking down completely; I was not the most independent person in the world, you see. However...those initials...

SD

Combined with the vernacular of the letter and the Negative Infinity on the envelope, I knew exactly who had written it. Or at least, I could make a highly educated guess. Storia Daisho. 'Who is that?' you might wonder, and well you should. You see, Storia Daisho, like the Negative Infinity, does not exist. He is a character that I made up; a mage of supreme power, nigh-infinite patience and a tongue that could gore a man's conscience at fifty paces. His role is a simple one, most of the time: whatever story I write, he takes my place, recording the events of that story for some vague, indefinable reason. In short, he is The Narrator of all my stories.

But I received a letter written by him. A letter telling me that he needed me, his creator, for a story.

A part of me, the part that loved fantasy books with nearly feverish delight and always wanted to believe that somewhere out there, magic existed, felt immensely gratified and strengthened by this fact. And if this should all turn out to be some sort of horrible prank? Well...I was technically a pacifist, but I would probably snap or something.

Eventually, after searching for a good while, I found the supermarket. It was a good deal harder than it would be in my home country, seeing as the sign above the door was written in Katakana; it took me a minute of staring and trying to decipher it before I figured out what it was saying.

As I searched the shelves for food, I found myself appreciating the trouble my mother went through. Not only was it difficult to read the labels on the items, but it was also, almost impossible to find anything kosher. Well, I guess that last one wasn't exactly vital, so no big deal. If God is displeased with my eating choices, He'll have to take it up with me Himself.

Seeing as I lacked a car, I eventually deduced that I would have to make multiple trips to the market in order to get everything I needed. For the moment, I only got the bare necessity of eggs, salt, egg whites, butter and so on.

Anyway, afterward I paid for the stuff (communication was a little difficult, but well within my skill to manage under the circumstances) and left with several paper bags. The walk back to the apartment was a bit slower this time, owing to the weight of the ingredients. However, I encountered no trouble on the walk and ended up reaching my door on the second floor.

As I searched for my key, a voice said "Oi!" making me jump and look around. A black-haired woman jogged towards me from down the hall, grinning. Feeling an uncomfortable heat about my face, I carefully avoided looking at her properly, lest it worsen.

"Ah...yes?" I said tentatively in Japanese. She asked me a question, but I quickly told her that I only knew a little Japanese. She blinked, somewhat confused, then to my surprise switched to English.

"Is this better?" she asked. Her voice, while young-sounding, had a pleasantly smooth cast to it. There was also a definite accent to it, but it wasn't the thickest I'd ever heard.

I nodded gratefully, repositioning the bag still in my arms. "Yeah, that's a lot better, thanks."

She merely grinned, clearly proud to show off her knowledge of my language, and I felt another wash of heat on the back of my neck. "Heheh, you're welcome! When I learned English in school, I didn't think I'd ever meet a foreigner as my next-door neighbor. Where are you from?"

"Oh, um," I mumbled, finally managing to drag my eyes around to look at the woman. She wore a short-sleeved green shirt which, while not that low in the neckline, fit snugly around her round breasts. Not wanting to get caught staring at her chest, I continued downward, only to see that her lower half was clad in a long, swishy lavender skirt. After that, my nerve once again failed me and I looked away. Remembering that I was supposed to answer a question, I finally said, "I'm from America."

"Eh~?" she sighed, grinning, "Well, nice to meet you. I saw the movers loading all the boxes into the apartment, but I never saw you. You're pretty elusive, aren't you Oji-san?"

Despite myself, my eyebrow twitched. I knew that 'Oji-san' wasn't exactly an insult in Japanese, but it still stung. "I'm twenty," I said shortly, "But I just moved in, so it makes sense that I'd stay indoors for a bit."

"If you say so," she said, smirking, "But all that aside...what's your name?"

Vaguely, I recalled that it was supposed to be polite for the inquirer to give their name first in Japan. I didn't want to come off as standoffish, though, so I merely said, "You can call me Neseg." Shifting my grocery bag (damn it this thing is heavy!), I tentatively held out my hand, "What's yours?"

She smiled warmly and returned the handshake. I couldn't help but notice that her skin was very soft and warm. In fact, that fact consumed my focus so much that it took me a moment to register her reply.

"Nice to meet you, Neseg-san. I'm Amano Yuuma."

And suddenly, I did not feel so hot any more. On the contrary, a chill ran down my spine, spreading to my limbs and the rest of my body.

"Oh," I said, trying to keep my face straight, "Well, nice to meet you, Amano-san. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to put these…" I managed to somehow squeeze through the door and close it without looking like I was running away. Or at least I hope I did.

Once inside, I cursed to myself, legs trembling as a cold sweat broke out on my face. This was for two reasons. One was because I'd accidentally left my groceries outside and would have to return for them. The other, however, was not so mundane.

For you see, in the tail-end of that little conversation, I'd suddenly realized _exactly_ which world I was in. Storia had been right, it hadn't taken long to figure out at all.

I was in the world of Highschool DxD, and I had just met the Fallen Angel Raynare. I had a distinctly unpleasant feeling that my meeting her was nowhere even near a coincidence, especially if she was calling herself Yuuma. There was only one conclusion I could come to. "I really should've stayed in today."

First, though, better get my groceries…

AN: Aaand I think I'll leave it there for now. Once more, I apologize for the fact that this chapter doesn't really have anything in it, but at this point in time, there really wouldn't be. However, in light of that, I will instead wait until Chapter 2 is complete before uploading this.

Summary Notes:  
1. My introduction. I ain't givin' my real name, so you can just call me Neseg. That's NEH-seg, or Nessig, just for pronunciation's sake. Maybe someone can figure out why I chose that name.  
2. As anyone who remembers them could tell you, dreams can be really weird. Like, you can get really cool story ideas from them, but at the same time they don't really make sense at the time. My dream, while it seems nonsensical, does possess a certain amount of significance.  
3. Okay, now here's where things start to diverge from my real self a little. If I were to wake up in a strange house, I would be scared out of my fucking mind. I am not a person who deals with being removed from my comfort zone well. However, crippling terror and a refusal to leave the house a story does not make. At least, not the kind of story that I want to write.  
4. Be honest, are any of you surprised that the Gormim are behind this?  
5. Most other people, I believe, would most likely be suspicious as hell after reading such a vague letter. I, however, am very easily reassured by such things. You might find it a sad fact, but frankly, but I can easily calm down if a person is polite enough. The alternative is just getting mad, and I don't like doing that.  
6. I don't want to hear anything about the money and the apartment. Not a word.  
7. I go out to get myself some food. Boring, yes, but I've got my priorities. Exploring a town is not a big one.  
8. And then, the big kicker: I meet Amano Yuuma. What does this mean for me? For Issei? That is for the next chapter to answer.

If you enjoy this fic, or at least are interested enough to keep reading (which is doubtful, I know), then kindly leave a review telling me what (if anything) you found interesting. If this did not interest you, then move on, bucko. I need not your negativity.

I might upload chapter 2 in a day or so, to give you lot time to review this one.

North South out.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Alright, can't upload till I finish this one, so I'd better get started. Chapter 2, GO!

But first, some reviews.

Guest 1: *Smiles mysteriously*

Guest 2: That is correct. And yeah, hope to see more of an opinion from you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD, nor any other series that may or may not be referenced in this story.

"Speech"  
Text  
_Thoughts_  
_Inner being to Outer being/[Ddraige/Albion]_  
**Demonic/Draconic**  
**Spell/Technique/[Sacred Gear]**

Chapter 2: Certainty and Uncertainty

I paced back and forth in the kitchen, agitated. The apartment felt a tad too small, all of a sudden, and it was hard to keep still.

Meeting Raynare on my first day here was _not_ something I'd expected. Nor did I want it, if her presence meant what I thought it did. But what could I do?

If she really was here to worm her way into my life and kill me, I really didn't stand much of a chance. I didn't have anyone to go to for help; if I went to the police, she'd probably spin it around so that I'd seem like an abusive boyfriend or something, even discounting the language barrier. Fallen Angels were probably as good with persuasion as they were with getting rid of the evidence.

But then I remembered what had happened in Highschool DxD canon: Raynare had killed Hyoudou Issei, but then he'd been resurrected by…

Of course. I _could_ still feasibly survive this, if I could get my hands on one of the Kuoh Occult Club's flyers. However, something occurred to me. What about the real main character, Issei? Would he be left to die because of my desire to save my own skin? Or had Raynare already done him in and moved on to another-

"Hang on." The thought came to me so suddenly that I had to speak out loud. Fallen Angels like Raynare generally only killed humans because they disliked them possessing Sacred Gears…then, did that mean that I had one? If so, which was it? Boosted Gear, or maybe something else entirely? A sigh escaped me and I stopped pacing. _I'm over-thinking this,_ I thought, _I can't avoid her; the best I can hope for is that Rias is feeling generous enough to reincarnate my lazy ass._

I sighed again, and then went to my bedroom. _Might as well pass the time on the internet._

.

In the following weeks, I found myself journeying outside my apartment frequently. Mostly it was just for walking purposes, getting the lay of the land, that sort of thing, but I was honestly surprised at myself.

While I wasn't exactly a Hikikomori, neither was I the type to voluntarily venture outside, especially if I had no destination in mind.

Well, whatever. If it got me away from Raynare, I suppose I could live with it.

As I wandered the neighborhood, I noticed that the atmosphere was very different from my home. Appearance-wise, the suburbs looked more or less the same, if a bit cleaner, but there was just enough of a difference that I could tell that I was far from my country of birth. I couldn't help but be reminded of a time when my family had gone to Vancouver briefly; the difference sheer difference in atmosphere was startling. Perhaps it was just the novelty of being in a different country? I don't know.

"Ah! Neseg-san!"

I flinched automatically. _Speak of the devil-er, Fallen Angel, rather-and she shall appear._ She was jogging towards me, wearing an outfit consisting of a black tank top and a pair of very tight black shorts that, had I been a manga character, would've given me a nosebleed.

As it was, I ended up turning away from her to try and adjust my hard-on. Stupid heterosexual body chemistry. She's going to freaking kill me! Still, she _is_ pretty hot. Damn Fallen Angels and their prowess in seduction. And damn me for being so weak-willed! Shit!

"Hey~!" she drawled, bouncing up to me and patting me on the shoulder. I flinched again, but for a different reason now. "Why'd you turn away from me?" she chided, "I even dressed up like this for you."

I actually blinked and looked back at her. "What?"

She shrugged, smiling. "Well, since you're always so shy when we meet, I figured I should be the one 'attacking.' And you're always out walking, so I figured I join you."

"O-oh. Is that so?" I managed, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, "Well, I do need the exercise and all. You don't."

Raynare deadpanned. "I'll just take that as a compliment if that's alright with you."

"It was meant as one." _For some reason._ I mean, I might not want her around, but that was no reason to be rude.

_...I may not be crazy, but I suppose my priorities would seem a bit strange to others. Well, whatever._

Anyway, she beamed at me. "Eh, is that right? I thought I'd have to try something a bit more drastic to get a compliment out of you, Neseg-san."

I flushed and looked away. This situation wasn't new; indeed, every time I went out for a walk in the last few weeks, she would soon come after me, though not usually dressed the way she was now. I wasn't sure whether to be thankful or suspicious that she didn't reveal her true colors immediately and just kill me. However, she was relentless, always trying to get a conversation out of me under the pretext of wanting to get to know me better as a neighbor. Since I knew it was only a ruse, I tried to make myself seem as uninterested as possible. Either she was that determined or I was a really bad actor. Maybe both.

"So, where're you off to today?" she asked cheerfully.

Nowhere. Think man, think! "Er...I guess I was going to look for the library," I mumbled rubbing the back of my head, "But I probably wouldn't be able to read anything there, now that I think of it. I'm better at speaking Japanese than recognizing Kanji." Raynare gave me a half-lidded look, as if to say 'what an airhead.' "W-well?" I sputtered in response, "This place feels similar to home and I was bored, so I thought I'd get some...books..." Sweet Christ, why am I making excuses?!

"Heeh," Raynare murmured, a small smiled tugging at the corner of her mouth, "So you like reading, huh? What sort of stuff do you like?"

The unexpected question made me stop in surprise. Why would she be interested enough to ask that? "Erm, well, fantasy stuff. I just really love things involving magic and mythological stuff, like dragons and heroes. And, ya know, I can't get enough of stories where they actually explain the magic system, and if it's really complicated then-" I stopped myself before I got on a roll.

Unfortunately for me, she seemed to have latched onto my impassioned answer. "Fantasy, huh? I've never really been one for reading, but if it's your recommendation, I might give it a go. Any ones that I should look out for?" she asked coyly.

Oh god. Oh god she's flirting, help. I could feel my face turning red and my thoughts started to jumble around in my head. "W-well, I have a few books back at the apartment," I stammered, not realizing what I was doing until too late, "But I guess, if they're in English you might have trouble reading them yourself."

At this, she frowned slightly, but nodded a little as if in agreement. "Hm, that's true, I guess," she said musingly. Considering that by now her spoken English was absolutely perfect, I had no doubt that she _would_ be able to read my books, but I'd be _damned_ if I let her get her hands on them. I'd rather not have them destroyed out of spite, thank you very much. My mutinous thoughts were totally interrupted, however, as she suddenly smiled brightly. It took a great deal of willpower not to smile back. "Well then, why don't you read them out loud to me?" she asked, pulling on my arm.

"I-!" my thought processes stopped completely. For the past few weeks I thought that no matter how provocative her temptations were, no matter how honeyed her words, I could at least resist them enough to keep myself alive. However, this suggestion was completely out of left field. She was trying to seduce me, right? So that she could kill me after a date, right? So what would make her ask for such a mundane thing as having me to read to her?

"W-why would you want that?" I asked shakily.

But then her smile took on such a genuine warmth that I found my heart melting at it. "You know, you never seemed really interested in talking much before," she explained, "And you're so private that I thought I'd never get to know much about you. But, when you were talking about stories and fantasy just now...you looked really happy." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, still with that completely disarming smile. "I want to see what's so good about them, if they make you open up so much. I want to get to know you, after all."

The only thing that emerged from my throat was a sort of choked croaking sound. I was stunned, completely floored by the turn that the conversation had taken. I knew, I _knew_ that this was all just a front, that she was just softening me up so that she could get close and then stab me in the back. _I knew that!_ But...

In that moment my knowledge, my certainty, was shaken. Even if she was out to get me, I...I couldn't say no. Somehow, in only a few sentences, she'd bored a hole straight into my heart. It might sound cliché if I say it like that, but that's how it felt. Raynare, it seemed, was a master of 'killing words,' on perhaps the same level as a dense Harem protagonist.

She said that she wanted to get to know me? Well...right now, I wanted her to do that.

In a trembling, small voice, I said, "...I'd like that."

"Yatta!" she cheered, pumping a fist into the air like an energetic schoolgirl, "I finally got through to Neseg-san! Victory!"

_Yeah,_ I thought to myself, _Victory._ This time, however, my thoughts were not darkened by suspicion and sarcasm. I cleared my throat. "Well, then," I said, my voice still thick with emotion, "Th-there's no time like the present, is there? I'm heading back." So saying, I turned around and started briskly back along the path to our apartment building.

"Ah! Wait up!" she called, jogging after me.

.

By the time we reached my apartment, I'd managed to get my emotions back under control. However, I still felt a warmth in my chest area, regarding Yuuma. Even now, I was still aware that the beautiful young woman next to me was just a disguise. Nevertheless, my feelings of fear and paranoia had lessened considerably.

I turned the key in the lock and opened the door, letting her in behind me. _Great. Now I'm just _letting_ her into my home. Nice going!_ Of course, a certain part of my thoughts had gone particularly scathing. "So, this is my place," I said vaguely, keeping the nervousness out of my voice.

"Yes, I can see that," she teased, "It's pretty neat, isn't it?"

Despite myself, I snorted. "Give me some time. There'll be crap everywhere before you know it." _GODDAMN IT WHY AM I BANTERING?_ "...I'll go get a book," I continued, indicating the nearby couch, "You can sit down if you want."

She giggled, settling herself on the proffered furniture with her legs tucked underneath her. "I'll be waiting."

I quickly beat a retreat to my bedroom. True to my word, I did have quite a number of books in my collection; fantasy, of course. Now, which one should I read to her? I found myself seriously considering what book she might like the most. _Oh my god, I think I'm actually in love with her,_ I realized, astonished at myself.

Finally, I found the first book of one of my favorite series, grabbed it and walked back to the living room. Raynare grinned at me. "That was fast," she said cheerfully, "So, what is it?"

Wordlessly, I showed her the cover as I sat down next to her.

"Web...Mage?" she asked, cocking her head at the title, "Is that like a, um, a pun? On webpage?"

I shrugged. "I dunno," I said simply, "Maybe. You comfortable?"

Raynare nodded with a smile and slid over to me in order to read over my shoulder. "Un!"

Squirming from the closeness, I gave her one last look (inadvertently getting a direct view down her sizable cleavage) and quickly turned back to the book. "Alright, then...if you have any thoughts, let me know so I can stop."

"Haaai," she drawled, a teasing note in her voice.

I blushed and opened it up. It took a bit of doing, as the book had been left out in the rain once and become warped and stiff. "Okay...Chapter 1. 'Nothing here,' said Melchior, his voice echoing..."

And so it came to pass that I read a Ravirn book to a Fallen Angel. Surprisingly, I think she actually enjoyed it; whenever I read a bit of dialogue between Ravirn and Melchior- doing my best to recreate their snark with my voice -she would laugh. Quietly and softly at first, but the longer the banter, the harder her laughter became. For some reason, that made me smile a bit as well, though that made it a little harder to stay in character for the narration. In between chapters I would ask her for her thoughts on the story, and she'd tell me. When I reached the one or two sex scenes in the book, though, I found myself slightly embarrassed and ended up stumbling a little. However, despite blushing a bit herself, Raynare would only smirk and lean more heavily against me, molding her warm, oh-so-soft body against mine.

And slowly, ever so slowly, I found the last of my apprehension melting away.

I don't know how long it took, but before I knew it, I reached the end of the book. "'It would be my pleasure,' he replied, bowing to Cerice and digging for his magical tools, 'Let's go home.'" I let the last page fall stiffly closed. "That's all," I told her.

By this time, Yuuma had laid her head on my shoulder, seemingly drowsy. However, she quickly responded to the statement, pouting and asking plaintively, "It's over already?" When I nodded, she groaned and pushed herself upright, stretching her arms over her head and arching her back with a yawn. This also had the effect of pushing her breasts out a bit more with, complete with the slightest quiver of 'independent movement,' which of course drew my eye for an instant. Fortunately, I didn't think she noticed. "Thank you for that," she said finally, relaxing and giving me a lazy smile, "You have a really good reading voice, Neseg-kun!"

At last, I couldn't hold back the smile at the honorific. "Thanks," I replied, a little hoarsely, "But now my throat's killing me, so I'll just have a drink."

When I started to get up, she grabbed my arm and pulled me back down. "No, no, I'll get it for you," she said soothingly, "It's a thank you for going along with my...um..." She trailed off as if looking for the right English word, even though I already knew that the language barrier wasn't an issue.

Still, I played along with it. "Request?" I supplied, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, that's the one!" She stood up. "Just stay there, Neseg-kun." And so saying, she walked over to the kitchen area. I would've liked to point out that it was only an extra few feet, but then I noticed that her shorts had ridden up along the crack of her butt slightly, and decided to keep quiet about it.

"Just water is fine," I told her simply, watching her root around in the cabinet. A minute or so later she handed me a glass. "Thanks," I said gratefully, draining it in one go, "Hah, that's good...so, what'd you think of your first English fantasy novel?"

Raynare blinked at the question, then laughed. "Well, I guess I liked how Ravirn and Melchior got along so well, and how Ravirn came to care for Melchior when he learned that he was a real person."

"Mm," I nodded, smiling a bit more freely as I found myself in one of my comfort zones. "Well, personally, I just loved his personality. It might have been a bad idea, but I like a hero who knows how to get the last insult in. Most of the time, at least. But against all-powerful assholes like the Fates, who totally deserve it, it just makes me glad that there's a hero who doesn't hold back on calling them out."

She gave a soft smile. "I think we could all use someone like that in our lives." Then, for a second, a look of bitterness and regret crossed her face. "Still...it's sad."

"Hm? What is?"

She looked off to the side, as if remembering something painful. "He went through all of that for what he thought was right," she murmured, "But they still kicked him out for not sharing their beliefs. That's just...not fair."

I'll admit, I was a bit stumped for a second. Why would that stick out for her? Then I realized, _Oh yeah. She's a Fallen Angel._ All of a sudden, I couldn't help but wonder whether she was thinking about the story, or something a bit more...personal. "Well," I sighed, standing up myself, "That was pretty fun, Yuuma-san. Maybe some other time I'll read you the next one."

"Eh?" She seemed surprised, "There are more of them?"

I grinned. "Of course! You didn't think it would just end there, did you?" I winced. "...But I can't do it today; my throat's just about had it."

Raynare grinned. "I'll be waiting, then," she said. Then, as I walked her to the door and let her out, she turned on my doorstep. "Ne, Neseg-kun?"

"Ah, yeah?"

She suddenly blushed and fiddled with a lock of her hair in an endearing way. "I was thinking...maybe, this Friday...would you go out on a date with me? And then after that, we could read the next one?"

I stiffened. So this was it, then. In two days' time, she would try to kill me. Shockingly, I didn't feel that much fear. Even _more_ shockingly, I only felt a bit sad that she probably wouldn't wait until we got back for the reading. Still, I suppose there was no longer putting off the inevitable. "...Sure," I told her, this time with my own gentle smile (or at least what I hoped was one), "Although, keep in mind...I usually don't really like going out unless there's food involved-"

"That's okay!" she said quickly.

"-and I can be a bit of a picky eater. Like, I'm sorry but I just can't enjoy most Japanese foods-"

"That's okay," she repeated, actually looking somewhat relieved, "I was thinking of a fast-food restaurant anyway..."

I flushed, looking away guiltily. "Oh...well, thanks for that. Friday, then?"

She nodded, smiling brightly, and stepped back to let me close the door. "I'll come by for you!" she called, "Since you'll probably lose track of time in there by yourself!"

Well, it wasn't like I could argue with that. "Thanks," I said. For what, though, I wasn't sure.

.

I wasn't sure whether to feel sorry or relieved when I didn't see Raynare the next day. I supposed that realistically, she probably wouldn't care enough to interact with me until the date, now that she'd gotten the agreement out of me. All the same, my apartment felt lonely, living by myself. The most I could do was just to peruse the internet. Oh, and I also learned what the 'upgrade' on my flash drive was, but I'll get to that at a later time. I did not get any writing done that day; my mind was just too preoccupied with the thought of going on a date. Yes, I'd be dying at the end of it, but it was still my first date. What person couldn't get excited by that? The girl in question was also smoking hot, which was a huge bonus.

...Even in Narration, I cannot believe I just used the term 'smoking hot.' I must be more out of it than I thought.

Anyway, because of that Thursday passed without incident.

.

Friday, when it dawned, brought me a wave of trepidation, nervousness and even excitement. I woke up pretty late, which wasn't that unusual for me. Fortunately, the date was scheduled for later in the afternoon, so I was given plenty of time to get ready. I ate lunch and spent most of the waiting time alternating between looking at the internet, finding nothing to catch my attention, and pacing around my apartment in fits of restlessness.

At one point, a thought occurred to me. Why was she going to all this trouble just to kill me? Even in canon, it hadn't made much sense for Raynare to pretend to be Issei's girlfriend when she could've just flown in through his window. Bam, light-spear, no more Sekiryuutei. I suppose that maybe her cruelty drove her to it and that it traumatized Issei all the way until Volume Ten, but...looking back on it, it seemed like an unnecessary risk for her.

Then, as I was putting on my socks, still wondering about the issue, a knock came at the door. Quickly, I crossed the apartment to open it. There stood Yuuma, dressed casually in a short black dress with a pale pink shirt worn over it. She smiled at me as I opened the door. "Hello!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Hi," I replied, smiling shyly, "You...look nice."

"Thanks!" she said, "I was hoping you'd like it."

Almost reflexively I noted, "You seem to like wearing black a lot. A-anyway, shall we go?"

"Hai!"

Just before leaving, I ducked back into the apartment to take my wallet and key with me.

"I don't often take my money with me when I go out," I explained sheepishly, "So I almost forgot this time."

She smiled and patted me indulgently on the shoulder. "Sure, sure," she said soothingly, linking her arm with mine.

"Hey, what's with that tone?"

"Nothing~."

"Tch..."

.

So, as promised, she took me to a fast-food place first. I wasn't too big on going to those back home, but I wasn't one to turn them down exactly. Besides, Raynare was just trying to be accommodating to my eating habits, which I was grateful for. So we ordered, ate and chatted a bit. Mostly, she listened to me as I told her about various series that I liked. What? It wasn't like I had anything else to talk about, okay? I've a very limited range of interests and most of them don't involve reality if you get my drift. Well...at least the food was good. I paid for my share, in case you're wondering. I offered to pay for her as well, but she refused.

Anyway, I did ask about her interests afterwards, as we walked through the town. In the cool afternoon air, the sun shone bright and hot above us. She told me that she liked music, though her selection was pretty limited and she wasn't really in a position to discover new songs. I offered to play her some later, which pleased her a great deal. "Un! I'd love to hear what kind of music they have over in America," she said in a half-teasing, half-genuine tone that I was beginning to associate with her feigned affections. Still, it made me feel happy.

"Hey there!" called a male voice. I looked around to see a boy with brown hair and a red shirt walking up to me, a bundle of flyers in his arms. He handed me one, grinning. "For good luck," he said, glancing at Raynare with a lavicious grin.

Frowning, I looked at the flyer. It was a plain white, with the words 'Kuoh Academy: Occult Research Club' written on it. My eyes widened as I realized that I'd nearly forgotten about it. Without the flyer, Rias wouldn't know to find me after I was killed. A wave of relief swept through me and I gave the boy a small smile. "Thanks," I told him, pocketing it. But he'd already turned around and left.

"What was that?" asked Raynare curiously.

"Nothing," I told her, shrugging, "Just a flyer for something. I'm pretty bad about taking things that are handed to me." Sadly, that bit was kinda true.

As we kept walking, a second, much more delayed realization came to me. I'd just met Hyoudou Issei! So clearly he was still alive, or had been reincarnated already, judging by his handing me that flyer. However, if he'd been reincarnated...why had he only ogled Raynare? Hadn't she dated and killed him?

In hindsight, I really should have inspected that line of questioning further. Although really, I suppose it wouldn't have mattered at that point.

Nevertheless, time passed and the sun began to go down, dyeing the sky a brilliant orange and pink. I found myself in a park, sitting on the stone ring that bordered a fountain. While I had not watched the Highschool DxD anime, I had seen a video or two, so I recognized the place; this was where Issei had died in canon. Was this an omen of sorts?

"Heeh," sighed Raynare, who was seated next to me, leaning back slightly, "It's really beautiful, isn't it?" she said wistfully, looking at the sky.

I nodded, murmuring "It is," in agreement. I flinched as her soft hand suddenly laid itself over mine.

"Mou! You're really jumpy," she said, laughing, "Normally you're always so composed, but whenever I touch you you're like a frightened rabbit!"

I looked away, blushing. "I'm...not a physical person," I muttered, "It makes me uncomfortable to be touched by someone that I'm not...familiar with."

She gave a noise of understanding, looking a little disappointed. "Then, is this not okay? Should I..." Slowly, she removed her hand.

"I-" I struggled to find the right words. "I don't...hate it, or anything. It feels n-nice, but I..." failing to complete the sentence, I only shook my head some more, feeling my blush grow more prominent.

She gave another soft sigh, but this one was tinged with understanding. "I got it. I guess Neseg-kun is a more fragile person than I thought."

"Fragile?" I wasn't angered by adjective. On the contrary, I agreed with it, but was surprised to hear it from her mouth.

Raynare ducked her head, giggling slightly. "Well, when I first tried to approach you, you just wouldn't let me get close. I wondered if you didn't like me for some reason. After I asked about books and you opened up, I wondered if you were a Tsundere."

A cross between a sputter and a snort emerged from my body. "I don't...I don't dislike you," I stated plainly to her, smiling despite myself, "And I'm definitely not a Tsundere. I've always-" I broke off, my blush returning in full force as I realized what I was saying.

"What?" asked the Fallen Angel, leaning towards me with that teasing, but gentle smile on her lips, "What do you think you are?"

_Why are you asking all of this if you're about to kill me?_ This thought was still present in my mind, but I didn't feel like breaking the charade. Instead, I confessed, "I've always considered myself a Dandere, really." I had to bury my face in my hands afterwards, but there. I said it.

Raynare stared at me, clearly taken aback. Then she smiled. "Is that so? In English, doesn't that mean...shy and anti-social? Fufufu," she giggled a little, "I guess that makes sense. So Neseg-kun was just being shy after all. I'm glad."

Because my hands were still over my face, I was taken by surprise when I suddenly felt a slender arm drape itself around my shoulders. I tensed, but with an irresistible tug, I was tipped over onto my side. Fortunately, my head landed on something soft. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that I was lying on my date's lap. With the soft, smooth skin of her thighs against my cheek, I could feel an even greater heat than before building in my face.

"Wow, your face is really red!" she laughed easily, rubbing my shoulder with one hand. With the suddenness of the contact, my body was frozen. "Don't worry, though," she continued, seemingly unaware of my extreme discomfort, "I don't mind if you're shy. You can use this lap-pillow for now, before we go back. I _really_ wanna hear that next book, okay?"

"O-okay," I squeaked, barely audible. However, even as my pseudo-terror continued, it slowly ebbed away over the next few minutes. I realized that, pressed against Raynare's thighs, I could hear her heart beating steadily. It was surprisingly soothing, and I found myself becoming steadily more relaxed, and even a bit drowsy. _If I die now,_ I thought to myself contentedly, _I don't think I'll mind all that much._

I'm not sure how long we remained like that. Eventually, though, she spoke again. This time, her voice was gentle, without a hint of teasing. Even her faux accent was gone. "Ne, Neseg-kun. I really like you, you know? Even though you're shy like this...thanks for going out with me today. I know it must have been uncomfortable for you, but I was happy to spend time with you."

"You're welcome," was my only answer. Inwardly, though, my mind was racing, and I felt hot. Not in the embarrassed way I had been before, though; this heat was much happier in nature. Sluggishly, I pushed myself up into a sitting position. In the process, my face came very close to Raynare's. It was close enough that if I had the courage, I could have leaned forward and kissed her. But, as always, I feared pushing the boundaries, so I didn't. Instead, I stood up, stretching my legs. "Shall we go back?" I asked, turning to face her.

"Hai!" she chirped.

_This is it,_ I thought as she stood up, dusting off her dress, _She's gonna kill me now._

She held out a hand, smiling. As I took it, however, her purple eyes suddenly drifted to somewhere over my head and widened. Her face paled drastically, without warning and she cried "Look out!"

I was so surprised that I barely registered her shove, even as it sent me sprawling away from her. I hit the ground with a grunt of pain. "What-?" I began to ask, but stopped.

Where I had just been standing was a long, glowing spear. In fact, I realized, it was made entirely of pale blue light. Oddly enough, the handle was positioned directly behind the blade, with a blue gem of sorts at the bottom of it. The blade itself was a long, wide triangle with a piece cut out of the middle. It was also stabbed point-first into the ground.

In the shock-muddled process of my thoughts, I registered that there was something off about the sight of the spear, the fact that it was made of light notwithstanding. I quickly figured out that it was the angle; whoever had thrown the spear had done it from behind me, and maybe from above?

The fact that there was a man in a coat and fedora floating in the air above the park was another clue.

"I've had just about enough of these antics," he said. His voice, reedy and slightly thick, was full of anger, "Seeing you draping yourself all over this drab nobody does nothing but make my stomach turn. When did you fall so low, Raynare?"

Raynare flinched visibly, still staring up at the man in...horror? What was she afraid of? Then her pale, vulnerable expression gave way to anger and distaste. "A fallen joke, Dohnaseek? When did you develop a sense of humor? I'd ask how you found me, but I very much doubt I want to hear an answer."

The man snorted. "You never did have any respect for your betters, Raynare." Okay, this guy was already getting on my nerves.

By then, her face had gone from angry, to a bored sort of irritation. She casually tossed her stray hair over her shoulder and said haughtily, "On the contrary. I have nothing but respect for my superiors. You, Dohnaseek, are not my superior, and never will be."

"Burn!" Both Fallen Angels jumped as the word burst out of me. Raynare looked particularly startled to see that I was still there. I had, at this point, gotten to my feet. "That was a good one, Yuuma-chan," I told her, chuckling, "Definitely worthy of Ravirn."

"Th-thank you," she mumbled distractedly. Then she shook her head, "No, rather, why are you still here, Neseg-kun?! This situation is..."

"Too dangerous for me, right?" I supplied for her.

Dohnaseek chuckled. It was an unpleasant sound to my ears. "At least he has _some_ sense. Still, to be in this situation at all has spelled your doom, human. I mean honestly, did you really think that a girl of her caliber would court the likes of _you?_ Your Sacred Gear aside, you're the most boring, dead-eyed lummox I've ever laid my eyes on."

Normally, I would be particularly vulnerable to verbal barbs like those. Despite my normal, somewhat aloof facade, such small things could spark my temper quickly. However, as I kept my eyes on Raynare, I saw her bristling with renewed anger herself. _Is she...getting angry because of me?_ I thought, surprised.

"You take that back!" she snarled. A twisted, thorny red beam of light crackled into life in each clenched fist as she spoke. "Neseg might not have any strength, but he's a thousand times better than you, Dohnaseek!"

I cringed. "A thousand is a bit much," I mumbled, to no avail.

"What?" he asked disgustedly, look incensed.

"When he tells me his stories, he gives off such joy that I can't help but be happy as well!" she continued, ignoring him and turning to look at me, "He's also shy. So shy that he won't even touch me himself, but he doesn't run away from me, from even this! That alone makes him braver than you!"

This...this was unlike anything I had been expecting. I had gone on this date, knowing that I would die by her hand, and here she was...praising me? I felt my face beginning to heat up for the umpteenth time that day as her rant went on.

"Dohnaseek!" shouted Raynare finally, cutting through my train of thought, "I know why you're here. I know why you followed me all the way to this town. I know that you'll try kill Neseg here because he's with me. So," She crossed her red spears in front of her, "I'll take you down before you get the chance!"

Throughout her speech, Dohnaseek's face had taken an even uglier cast to it, he features twisting more and more into a gargoyle-like mask of anger and disdain. "Pitiful," he said at last, "This is why I loathe Fallen Angel and human relationships. You've truly deluded yourself if you think _he_ can make you happy. Not that it matters at this point." Without warning, he dove. He streaked down towards me, a new spear poised to skewer me as he grinned maniacally. "Die!"

However, just before he could reach me, a black blur shot in front of him and his blue spear was intercepted by Raynare's red one. "You won't touch him!" she snarled.

"...Hoh," grunted the male Fallen Angel, his arm shaking in the deadlock of spears, "To think that you could still wield a spear of Light after all these years. Without spreading your wings, even!" He grinned predatorily, "As I thought, you will do nicely in my collection."

With a grunt of exertion, Raynare knocked him back with a great push. I was shocked to notice that through the whole exchange, she had used only her left-hand spear. "The only thing you'll be collecting is my spears in your hide!" she barked, leaping after him to deliver a brutal stab with the right weapon. She was dodged, but she kept on the offensive with lightning fast sweeps, jabs and spins of her spears, only to be deflected and avoided.

_She's strong,_ I thought to myself as I watched, with no small amount of pride, _She's so strong, but she doesn't want to kill me!_ But then a frown crossed my face as it began to sink in. Raynare clearly _wasn't_ going to kill me. For all my suspicions, all of my (admittedly token) resistance to her advances and my unwillingness to get close to her...she wasn't going to kill me after all? Could it be that for all my knowledge of canon, I was in an Alternate Universe? In that case, did that mean that Raynare's feelings were...?

My musings were interrupted, sadly, by an interloper. A large, unpleasantly sweaty hand clapped itself over my mouth, and before I could do more than stiffen in surprise, a short beam of yellow light pierced through my heart from the back. My scream of agony was muffled by the palm against my mouth, even as the burning pain seemed to build by the second. Faintly, I heard an oily voice jeer in my ear, but I couldn't understand what was said. Then, to add even more insult to injury, the owner of the weapon ripped it up and out the left, causing a plane of suffering to shear through my shoulder, before finally taking their hand away from my mouth.

I fell to my knees, still slightly shocked from the amount of pain I was feeling. My left arm wouldn't move for some reason; were all of the muscles cut completely. I tried to draw in a breath, but a thick-soled boot struck me between the shoulder blades and I hit the ground entirely. A horrible bubbling filled my throat, and my attempt to breathe turned into a horrible retch, blood spraying from my mouth.

Distantly, through the haze of suffering originating from my chest and shoulder, I heard a female scream. A long, drawn out shriek of agony and horror. Was it a name? My name? _Raynare?_ I wondered. Somewhere above me, the flashes of red and blue light became more intense, the sounds of explosions seeming to come from far away. My vision was growing dark.

Slowly, my right hand, the only one that still worked, drifted to the pocket where I'd put the flyer. _Rias...Gremory,_ I prayed in my thoughts, _If you can hear my wish...I want to live..._

Nothing. Well, nothing yet. _It might just take a moment,_ I thought sleepily, my eyes drifting shut, _I'll just...rest for a minute before she gets here..._

_Sorry, Raynare. Looks like I'll have to put off the reading for a while..._

_Damn...it's cold out here._

AN: Well...that took a turn for the worse, didn't it? So, here's chapter 2 of Waking Dreamer. If any of you liked my first chapter enough to read this one, I'm glad. If not, your loss.

Summary time:

1. So, this being a Self-Insert, I of course know what happens in canon, so I'm suspicious of Raynare right off the bat.  
2. However, I quickly realize that the most likely way I'm going to get a plot going for Storia is to die and join Rias's Peerage. Keep in mind that I don't _want_ to die, but seeing as she's a Fallen Angel and I'm a human, it'd be next to impossible to avoid it on my own.  
3. So I try avoiding her to put it off as long as possible. A few weeks or so. Raynare starts walking with me.  
4. Unfortunately, I underestimate Raynare's gift for seduction and she worms her way into my heart through my love of stories.  
5. She makes me read to her. Not going to complain about that one.  
6. We also get a tiny amount of character development out of her afterward.  
7. Afterwards, she asks me out on a date, and I'm so disgustingly besotted with her that I can't say no. Well, more 'don't want to' than 'can't,' but you know what I mean.  
8. So we go out, have something to eat, and keep walking and talking.  
9. Issei happens by and gives me one of the Occult Club's flyers. Yes, this _does_ mean that he's a part of Rias's Peerage already. Him not reacting to Raynare is the first hint that something's off.  
10. The famous scene in the park...which doesn't go anything like in canon. We just sit down and end up tripping over one of my weaknesses.  
11. In real life, I really _am_ uncomfortable with physical contact. This carries over into the fic.  
12. Lap pillow! It ain't a DxD fic without one.  
13. Moment of truth: Raynare _doesn't_ plan on killing me! Shock of shocks!  
14. Instead, we get Evil Dohnaseek, who's apparently stalking Raynare for some reason.  
15. An exchange of insults, Raynare getting pissed off on my behalf (!), the beginnings of a fight...  
16. ...And I get stabbed from behind by some dirtbag with a lightsaber. Bonus points for guessing who.  
17. I try to summon Rias, with unknown results.

Is my story over before it begins? When I next wake, will I be a Devil? And if I am, how will I interact with them if I'm too old for High school? If you care enough to keep reading, then stay tuned for the next chapter, whenever that comes out.

As always, if you like this story and have a comment or a question, please leave a review or PM. If you _don't_ like the fic, then keep silent and move on.

Also, if someone would _please_ check out my fic Boundary of Dragon, I would appreciate it.

North South out.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hm...I kinda want to get started on this one now. Can't focus on anything else at the moment. Let's go.

Reviews

ark: I suppose it would be funny, but that's impossible. The Occult club's flyers are designed to work only for Rias and her Peerage.

TrashBin: First, it's not 99% that's crap. It's 90%. Secondly, what's your point?

Ragna: While there will be certain...'foreign elements' present in the universe, whether it'll make me feel lost is another matter.

West: Thank you very much! I'm actually pretty proud of how I wrote her.

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD.

"Speech"  
Text  
_Thoughts_  
_Inner Being to Outer Being/[Sealed Spirit]_  
**Dragon/Beast**  
**Technique/Spell/[Sacred Gear]**

Chapter 3: Misconception and Perception

The velvety black sky stretched out above me. The stars shone brightly, tiny as they were, along with the waxing moon. As I drifted along the surface of the ocean, I calmly drank in the sights. Even in the endless solitude of my 'punishment,' the beauty of the world still brought me contentment.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized that I was dreaming again. Not only that, but it seemed to be a continuation of my previous dream. _Maybe this time I'll be able to tell what I am._ However, try as I might, my body resisted any attempt to move upward. It was as if great metal bands were constricting around me; not tightly enough to hurt or that I couldn't move at all, but I still couldn't move in a certain direction. It wasn't exactly a new sensation; I'd felt it in dreams before and found it quite vexing. However, I found that I could still undulate my limbless body and move through the water. The feel of the cold water against my body was surprisingly realistic. In a dream, such sensations would be muted, as they were only constructs of my mind.

Just as I really started to pick up speed, wondering where I should go, I spoke. No, rather, the body I was inhabiting spoke. The voice that emerged from my mouth was most certainly not my own, and the words spoken were not ones that I had been thinking of.

"**Now is the time to awaken. Let all obstacles fall into obscurity."**

The next thing I knew, my eyes were open and I was back in my bed. As always, the room was engulfed in total darkness. _What was that?_ I wondered, _That sure as hell didn't sound like a normal dream._ Where had those words come from? Who had that…person been talking to? Me? I was the only person in the dream, wasn't I? But then who was talking?

For that matter, what was I doing in my own room?

The memory of the previous day flashed in my mind, still fresh. The date, the attack, and then…I'd been stabbed from behind.

But Raynare wasn't the one who'd attacked me. In fact, if memory served (and it usually did), she seemed to be quite vocal in voicing her opinion of me, and that it was a good one.

I admit, I probably should have realized that even if I was in another world, it wouldn't be _exactly_ the same as I remembered it. Still, I hadn't expected to encounter any changes _so soon._ Although, my heart warmed as I realized that there was a very real chance that Raynare's feelings might just be real. If, or when I saw her again, I'd have to ask her about it. Just thinking about the prospect made me bring a hand to my forehead to try and wipe the sweat away.

Or at least, I tried to. Halfway there, my hand brushed something smooth, soft and warm. I froze as I suddenly registered that there was a _body_ in my bed. Besides my own, obviously. The sound of shifting, along with a decidedly feminine sigh, only compounded my panic. The fact that I realized that I was naked did not help either.

_Wait a second,_ a part of my brain with my memories piped up, _Isn't this what happened after Ise got reincarnated? He woke up naked with Rias._ I calmed a bit. _Right. Of course. This is par the course with Highschool DxD._ _No need to get so flustered…easier said than done!_

Carefully, I groped around on the bed, looking for the edge, sliding along as I did so. Each time my hand touched a body part, I simultaneously flinched away and burned the sensation into my memory. A broad, smooth curve that might have been a hip. A soft, thick suppleness that was almost definitely a thigh…needless to say, I was all too happy that Rias seemed to be a somewhat heavy sleeper, and that there was no light in the room to reveal my…enjoyment of those moments.

However, whether fortunately or unfortunately, I managed to exit the bed without climbing over my partner and potentially waking her. Then I set about looking for spare clothes. I found a pile on the floor but, after examining it tactilely for a minute or so, decided that I wasn't desperate enough to wear a skirt and a pair of panties. Finally, I managed to find some shorts and a shirt, put them on and groped around for the light switch. I winced as the room was flooded with light and had to shut my eyes. I really regretted not having any windows, as they would've helped me get accustomed to it when I woke up. But no, only darkness or light for me.

_Huh. Sounds symbolic. Cool._

At that moment, I heard a soft "Ufufufu!" and turned to get a proper look at my surprise visitor. My eyes widened as I took in the sight before me.

Sitting up on the bed, the blankets falling from her, was one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen. Though, considering my life, that wasn't saying too much. Her skin was flawless, pale and smooth without the slightest blemish. Her legs were long and graceful, thickening pleasantly at the thighs before blending into a wide pair of hips. Her waist was only a shallow curve above that, and her stomach was smooth, with the slightest curve to it at the bottom. I could tell that she was fit, though her abdomen wasn't clearly defined or muscular. She clearly had done _some_ training in recent times. Above that, clearly on display, were her breasts. Perfectly round, capped by a soft pink nipple each, almost gravity-defyingly perky and utterly _enormous_. So mind-bogglingly huge that I seriously wondered if they were real. Then I remembered what sort of world I was in; that is to say, an anime world. I'll admit it, I stared for a really long time. I doubt anyone would seriously blame me, if they were in my position. When I reached her head, though, I paused. Her face was elegant, a soft oval with purple-gray eyes that were staring at me at as much as I was staring at her. Her expression, however, was one of benign amusement, rather than shock or bewilderment. What threw me off was her hair.

Rather than the thick crimson tresses that I had been expecting from the Gremory Heiress, this girl's hair was a long curtain of inky black, almost shiny.

I had to wonder: was this another change from canon? It didn't seem that likely, but-

"Ara, ara," laughed the girl, each movement mimicked half a second later by her breasts, "My apologies for intrusion, Oji-san! I'm sure this is quite the shock for you." Her voice was soft and gentle, yet possessed a certain sultry tone that entranced me all the more.

Faintly, unable to tear my eyes away from her curvaceous form, I could only mumble, "You have no idea…who are you, anyway?"

"Ufufu, right, of course. My name is Himejima Akeno. Nice to meet you," she said easily, bowing her head politely, apparently at ease with her own total nudity.

Ah, so it was only Akeno. That was one mystery solved, at least. At last, I ducked my head and answered, "Nice to meet you, then. You can call me Neseg." Another thought occurred to me. In this world, was Akeno the King of the Peerage instead of Rias? "Are you the one who saved me?" I asked abruptly, "Also, do you want your clothes back?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Ara, I would have thought you'd want this to go on longer." When the only sound that emerged from my throat was a strangled groan, she giggled again. "In answer to your first question, however, I'm afraid not. I'm not aware of all the details, but the one who saved your life was my master, friend and King, Rias Gremory."

So, that was still the same. Thank God for at least _some_ consistency. I cringed as a sharp spike of pain shot across my temple. "Ow! Damn it!" Right. Forgot about that. I'm a Devil, now.

"Prayed to God, did you?" came Akeno's melodious voice, her smile audible even through my pain, "I would recommend against doing that in the future."

"Sorry," I muttered, rubbing at my head, "Forgot."

She blinked. "You forgot? Forgot what?"

Ack. Shit. I just let something slip. Might as well tell half of the truth. "I already know that I'm a Devil now," I admitted, making her eyes widen in surprise, "But I forgot that that means thanking God, urk, is forbidden."

Akeno stared at me, clearly taken aback. Then she smiled, this time thoughtfully. "Ara, ara…it seems that there's more to you than I thought, Neseg-san." She stood up, making me take a step back instinctively, and walked over to the pile of her clothes.

I most certainly did _not_ make a noise that sounded _anything_ like a squeak when I caught a flash of what was between her legs as she pulled on her panties.

"Where do you work, Neseg-san?" she asked casually as she fastened her purple bra, "Will you be missed?"

"I…" I stammered, mentally overloaded by what I was witnessing, "I…no, I d-don't work anywhere. Certain, um, circumstances have ensured that money isn't…a problem for me. I do have a girlfriend, I think, but she was there the other day…" When everything had gone to Hell, so to speak. "…What happened to her? To Yuuma?"

"Ah…" a look of pity crossed Akeno's face, and her hands slowed in donning her school uniform, "Buchou, that is to say Rias, told me that she chased off the two Fallen Angels in the area when she was summoned by you. Since the female one was screaming your name, I think that…" she paused, clearly unwilling to share her theory.

However, I had a good idea of what it probably was. "You think that Yuuma was a Fallen Angel in disguise."

Once again Akeno froze, looking at me in surprise.

"Thing is, I already knew for a fact that she is." I smiled at her to show that I wasn't offended by her assumption. "Actually, I knew from the moment I met her that she was going to kill me."

"You…" I was seeing something that I bet many jealous girls had always wanted to see: Himejima Akeno was completely flabbergasted. She stared openmouthed at me, as if suddenly unable to register what she was looking at. I supposed there was some irony there. However, the minute passed, and she pulled herself together so completely that it was admirable. "Ara, ara! So you do have a Sacred Gear after all! A precognitive ability, perhaps? Buchou will be delighted."

Quickly, I backpedaled. She was coming to all the wrong conclusions! "No, that's…a-anyway, as I was saying, I was wrong! Yuuma wasn't the one that killed me. It was someone else."

Akeno blinked, brushing off her extremely short maroon skirt. "Someone else? Not one of the Fallen Angels, then? Who?"

"Dunno. All I remember is that it was definitely a guy, and that he stabbed me from behind with some sort of lightsaber."

"Lightsa-a sword of light?" she asked, her thin eyebrows drawing together. When she spoke, it was to herself. "A Fallen Exorcist? Then, maybe, could it be…" Without warning, she stepped forward and took my hand in hers.

I froze. "Uh, what-" I croaked. However, before I could try and pull myself together, a red circle full of symbols expanded on the floor beneath us.

Akeno smiled serensely, clearly back in her element. "Ara, don't worry, Neseg-san. It's just that at this point, it would be prudent to take you to Buchou. She'll want to know how you're doing."

I was tempted to ask that if that was the case, why had it been Akeno sleeping naked with me and not Rias? However, that would be giving away even _more_ information than I was comfortable with, so I held my tongue.

A second later, a gust of wind rose up from the circle as it began to glow brightly, making me squint in annoyance and causing Akeno's skirt to flip up entirely, showing off the panties that she'd put on just a few minutes ago. My eyebrow twitched. _Freakin' anime physics,_ I thought. Whether it was a complaint or not, I don't know.

Then the glow died down and we were somewhere else. "Here we are," Akeno said serenely, if unnecessarily, smoothing out her skirt.

The room I was standing in had a hardwood floor, with a large magenta rug in the middle, along with a low coffee table and a pair of couches. To my right, directly in front of the window was a wooden desk piled with stacks of paper. Across the couches, by the far wall, was a free-standing bath and shower. Believe me, it was pretty damn jarring to see that thing just chilling out in the room. Glancing behind me, I saw a small kitchen area. The whole room was lit cheerily, but I couldn't help but cringe away from the beam of light slicing in through the window. "Where are we?" I asked, though I had a suspicion.

Sure enough, Akeno unwittingly confirmed, "We're at the Occult Research Club's room at Kuoh Academy. It's where the Peerage makes their headquarters after school. Ah, although, I guess school is out today."

"And we're here why?"

"Fufu, well it'd be best if you were introduced to the others, wouldn't it?" she giggled. She guided me to a couch and pushed me down into it. "Buchou must have stepped out, but she'll be back soon."

I nodded, not really having anything to say to that.

"Would you like anything while you wait?" asked Akeno cheerfully, "Something to drink, perhaps?"

"Just water," I said, "I'm usually not that hungry when I wake up."

Akeno gave a sound of acknowledgement and moved away.

Left alone for the moment, I slumped back in my seat and sighed, gazing up at the ceiling. _Things sure are moving quickly,_ I thought, _Only a few weeks and I'm already in the Occult Club's room._ Unwittingly, the corner of my mouth tugged upward. "Who would've thought?" I murmured out loud.

A small clunk jerked me back to reality as Akeno set a cup of water on the table.

"Ah, thanks," I muttered absentmindedly, taking it in my hands.

We sat in silence on opposite couches. I could feel her gaze on me as I occasionally sipped at my water. _Damn it, I wish I'd brought a book,_ I thought. As expected, just waiting around doing nothing was boring.

Akeno suddenly spoke up, making me start. "Neseg-san. If I may ask, how did you already know that you'd been reincarnated into a Devil? I examined your home when I brought you in, but there were no magical materials present."

I blinked, surprised. "Ignoring the fact that you searched my apartment while I was asleep- which is kinda creepy by the way -what does that have to do with anything?"

She laughed quietly. "Fair enough. But in answer to your question, if you were a magician, it would make sense for you to have prior knowledge of the Three Factions. However, it's clear that you aren't one. Yet you have already divulged that you know what a Fallen Angel is, and that you know that you've been resurrected." With each word, the detached serenity on her face slowly sharpened, her gaze suddenly focusing intensely on me. "On top of all that, you're much too calm for this situation."

_I'm certainly not calm right now!_ I thought, sweat breaking out on my forehead, _What's with the interrogation?!_ I could feel myself shrinking, trying to make as small a target for her scrutiny as possible.

"Ara," Akeno suddenly seemed to realize that she might be coming across a little strongly and put a hand to her mouth, "I apologize, Neseg-san. I got a little carried away with my curiosity. Peerage members are allowed to have their secrets, of course."

Seeing how contrite she was suddenly being, I found myself relaxing and waved it off. "I-It's okay," I mumbled, "And anyway, I will tell, er...our King about that stuff. I don't see much of a point in keeping that a secret."

She blinked, seemingly perplexed. It occurred to me that she might not be used to dealing with someone as up-front as me. Well, I suppose that's not so surprising in itself.

There was a whisper of wood as the clubroom's door slid open. Standing in the entrance was a girl who I recognized immediately, despite having never actually met her before. She wore the same uniform as Akeno; a short maroon skirt, a long-sleeved white button-up shirt along with a small corset-type thing, and a small cape. Frankly, I had to wonder who the hell designed that school uniform, 'cause seriously, what the hell? Her body was just as voluptuous as Akeno's, but that was about where the similarities ended. Instead of a curtain of dark hair, Rias Gremory boasted a head of thick crimson tresses that tumbled down her back. Her eyes were a solid blue-green color that, if used right, could captivate the heart of any man who gazed into them. Fortunately, she didn't seem to be in the mood for that.

"Oh, good morning Akeno. And- ah!" She caught sight of me and her eyes widened. "Well, hello there! You're that man from yesterday, aren't you? I'm sorry, I never got your name."

"Just call me Neseg," I requested of her, "Akeno already told me that you're the one that saved me."

She nodded firmly. "Yes indeed. I was pretty shocked to get summoned directly to a dead body, let me tell you. The two Fallen Angels fighting was a bit of a distraction, but I revived you without any problems and then sent them away. I don't know why they were fighting, but I'm sorry that you got caught up in such a thing."

I sighed, resigned to having to explain things again. "The female one was my girlfriend. She was defending me for some reason, but I got stabbed from behind. It seems that there was a third person there. Did you see anyone else when you arrived?"

Rias seemed a bit taken aback, similarly to how Akeno had been before. "Eh? Well, no, there were only those two Fallen Angels. The girl did seem quite distraught, but…" She frowned suddenly. "Could it be that she told you about the Factions already?"

Akeno blinked. "Ara, that didn't occur to me," she laughed slightly, "I may have jumped to conclusions a little early, but that would at least explain how you knew about Devils and such."

"What do you mean, Akeno?" asked the Devil.

"Well you see, Buchou," explained the black-haired girl, "Neseg-san has been taking this whole ordeal extraordinarily well. He told me earlier that he not only knew that his girlfriend was a Fallen Angel without her telling him, but he's also aware that he's become a Devil. I wondered if perhaps he might have a Sacred Gear that gives him a form of precognition, which might account for how he's been so calm all this time."

Personally, I severely doubted that. If the Gormim were going to put a Sacred Gear in my body (which was no doubt what happened), then it wouldn't be something so passive as that. Besides which, that wasn't precognition; it was just the result of reading and a good memory. However, I decided to let the conversation continue as it was.

Rias crossed her arms under her bust and nodded slowly, her eyes downcast in thought. "Hm…I see. Yes, maybe that's why my Mutated Piece was just barely enough to bring him back. Precognition is a rare thing to get as a human."

"Hang on," I said suddenly, confused, "A Mutated Piece? For me? What do you mean?" As far as I knew, the only Mutated Piece that Rias possessed at this time was one of her Bishops. Was I replacing Gasper Vladi?

Akeno laughed. "Finally, a proper question! I was beginning to think there would be nothing to teach you at this rate."

Despite my confusion I snorted. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I already know all that stuff about the Evil Pieces."

"How-?" Rias started, but shook her head. "Never mind, I guess we'll talk about that later, but what do you mean?"

I clarified, "Which piece did you use to resurrect me?"

She relaxed a little. "Oh, is that all. That's an easy one; you're a Pawn. My last one, in fact. The other seven are all taken up by my other Pawn."

_Finally, that's one mystery solved,_ I thought, relieved. So Issei was still in the Peerage after all and had taken up fewer pieces. Perhaps Rias was a bit stronger, making her pieces higher in value? Well, whatever. "Also," I continued, "I don't know what my Sacred Gear is, but I don't think it's something like precognition. But there is a reason that I know all that stuff."

Both King and Queen fixed me with an intense look that made me squirm uncomfortably.

A little fact about me: I _hate_ having to address more than one person at a time.

"Is that so?" asked Rias lightly, "Well, if my new Pawn has a secret for me, then I'll take it with the utmost seriousness."

That just made me more uncomfortable. Still, I'd started this whole affair by talking too much. Might as well come clean entirely and not beat around the bush. "I come from another world," I said clearly, looking Rias in the eyes.

For a long moment, she stared at me, clearly bemused. I wasn't so sure of what Akeno's reaction was, focused as I was on my new King.

Rias's face went through a few expressions, ranging from surprise, to skepticism and then a frown of consideration. "Another world, you say?" she finally asked, and I let out a breath of relief. I'd been afraid that she'd laugh at me. "I won't say that's possible, but there are enough strange things in the world that I'd say it's impossible either."

"Thank you," I said quietly and gratefully. Inwardly, it occurred to me that her reaction was a lot more subdued than perhaps it ought to have been.

She smiled softly at me. "You're welcome. Wherever you come from or how you came here, you're a member of our family now." Even as I blushed from her words, she continued, "Although, I don't really understand. Even if you come from another world like you say, how does that explain you knowing so much about the supernatural world."

"I guess you could say I have an…outsider's perspective," I said airily. At her pout of annoyance, I amended, "In my world, this world is a story. One that I'm a big fan of, actually."

Akeno, who had in fact poured herself a cup of tea and raised it to her lips, almost spilled it on herself as she jerked in surprise.

For Rias, it was clear that she hadn't been expecting such a bombshell to be dropped without warning, especially after my confession of being a sort-of alien. Her jaw actually dropped and the dignified air that she'd been keeping up since entering the room (probably trying to impress me, as the rookie) was all but gone.

It was such a great expression that I had to laugh. It was a full one too, that had me doubled over. "S-sorry," I choked, "The look on your face is perfect!" Then I quickly pulled myself together. "…But I'm fully serious on the story bit. I won't get into how I got here yet, but it's safe to say that I know enough about the Three Factions and Devils in particular to get by."

"You…" Rias could only shake her head at me, still somewhat stunned by my revelation. Then she leaned back in the sofa and laughed quietly, prompting a good deal of shaking from her breasts. "Well, well, it seems like I got an interesting Servant after all." She smiled at me, apparently satisfied by something. "So tell, me, what do you know about this world?"

And now I was in my element. "A lot of stuff," I said firmly, sitting up a little straighter, "Including events that are coming up. Although, considering what happened with Yuuma, I'm not entirely sure if what I know is still accurate."

"How so?" she asked.

As if sensing that we were now in our own little world (no pun intended), Akeno decided to get up and take her tea elsewhere.

Rubbing my temples, I explained, "In the original version of this story, canon, Amano Yuuma was not my girlfriend. I mean, of course she wasn't; I'm not originally _from_ this universe. Instead, she briefly dated the main character, Hyoudou Issei." I noticed my new boss's eyes widening, but plowed on. "And besides that, when you reincarnated him he took up all of your Pawn pieces, rather than just seven like he obviously did here."

"Hoh," Rias raised her eyebrows. "So, Ise-kun is the Main Character, is he? I suppose he'll be happy to hear that."

"Probably," I said with a laugh, "Though at the same time, I'd like to keep this information a secret from the other Peerage members for now. As far as I know, alternate worlds existing isn't exactly a well-known fact in this world. I don't know if they'd react as…well as you have."

She sighed, but nodded understandingly. "Well, as I said, you're a member of my Peerage now. Where you come from is of no concern to me." Then she smiled and held out her hand. "I hope we get along in the future, Neseg-san."

For what felt like the first time in a long while, I felt myself smile widely as I returned her handshake. "Thanks. I hope so too." Afterwards, I leaned back in the couch and yawned. "By the way, where _are_ the other Peerage members?'

"Ah, Ise-kun is off delivering his fliers for today, and the others are at home. It is Saturday, after all. I'm here because I told Akeno to bring you here once you woke up."

I nodded slowly, then blushed. "S-speaking of which...why exactly did I wake up next to Akeno-san?"

Rias smirked. "Oh? Was that your first time in bed with a woman?"

The heat in my face increased. "Yes," I said plainly.

"Hah!" she laughed, "Well, I suppose that's not too much of a surprise. I suppose you'd want to know why she was naked, yes?"

"Ara, Buchou!" cried Akeno's voice from somewhere behind me, "To give away the secrets of a maiden's heart so easily! As expected of a High-class Devil."

I expected Rias to get a little mad at the jab, but she only shouted back playfully, "The only thing maidenly about you is your body, 'Ultimate S!'"

At that, I couldn't help but laugh.

"As for why it was her, and not me," she went on, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, "Akeno, as my Queen, was the first person to join my Peerage, and is an old friend of mine besides. Since her power is comparable to mine, we take it in turns to stabilize new Peerage members when they become reincarnated. Since I tended to Ise-kun before you, it was Akeno's turn this time."

Well, that was a bit different from canon. "Okay," I said slowly, nodding, "But…why was she naked?"

A pair slender arms draped themselves loosely around my neck, making me tense up. "Well," sighed a breathy voice directly in my ear, sending shivers up my spine, "Like Buchou said, we're old, very _close_ friends, so we know each other's habits. Did you know, for instance, that Buchou likes to sleep in the nude? Not only that, but she's very…clingy when she sleeps. I must confess that more than a little of that might have rubbed off on me over the years."

By the exasperated look on her face, I had no doubt that Rias could hear every word being said, but she made no move to deny them. Instead, she shrugged. "But of course. I have no problem with my Servants seeing me naked." A shrewd look flickered across her face. "_Did_ you know that already?" she asked.

"I did," I admitted easily, prompting a laugh from her.

At length, after she calmed down, Rias cleared her throat. "Anyway…about your Sacred Gear."

I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows, even as Akeno drifted away from me. "So I really do have one?" I asked. Ultimately, I wasn't really that surprised, as I had no doubt that the Gormim would leave an ordinary guy in the world of the supernatural without some sort of edge.

She nodded seriously. "I sensed it in you when I found your body. It's fortunate that my last Pawn was Mutated, otherwise it might have failed. Do you have any idea what it is?"

"Not in the slightest," I answered, shrugging, "Though I somehow doubt that it's one of the Longinus."

"So you even know about those," Rias murmured, looking impressed.

I nodded, grinning proudly. "Of course. I love stuff like that, so I make sure to remember them. As for my own Sacred Gear, I'm not sure. I don't even really know how I'm supposed to go around activating it."

At this, Rias gave what seemed to be a relieved smile. "Ah, so it seems that there are _some_ things you don't know. I was a little worried that there would be nothing to teach you."

"Haha," I laughed mockingly, "I don't really know anything about magic either, hint hint."

"Akeno can teach you in the future," she answered without pause, "But first let's see about unlocking that Sacred Gear, yes?"

I nodded and settled back in my seat.

"First, it's usually easier if you'd close your eyes." I did so. "After that, try focusing internally. I know that's not a good description, I suppose, but it's the only one that fits."

I imagined the inside of my body as a black abyss. Generic, maybe, but there was no need to be fancy. Still, I looked for a while without 'seeing' anything odd. However, after a while, I saw what looked like a ball of blue light, shedding sparks gently somewhere in my torso. Above it, lit by the light, was a scarlet pawn chess piece. "I see something," I murmured.

I heard the tiniest rustling from Rias's nod. "Good. Now, to awaken it, you need to imagine it. You can use whatever you'd like; a quote from something you once read, a motion of some sort, or even imitating an attack from an anime." There was a hint of teasing amusement in her voice which made my ears heat up.

Nevertheless, I found myself making a subdued sort of pose. My hands came together loosely; my left hand palm up with the fingers curled naturally as it rested on my right hand. It still didn't feel entirely right, so I tried to think of a phrase. Searching my memory took a little while, as it was full of things that I thought were cool. However, I quickly came upon the right quote. Focusing intently on the little ball of light, placing what felt like mental hands on it I began to speak, the words seeming to echo in the silence.

**"...For it is in passing that we achieve immortality."**

Almost instantly I felt an answering pulse from the Sacred Gear, and a warmth began to grow in my body.

**"Through this, we become paragons of virtue and glory to rise above all."**

The blue light and sparks suddenly became orange flames, burning brightly and illuminating my Evil Piece further.

**"Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."**

The flames _exploded,_ quickly expanding to fill the void inside my body and spilling over, suffusing the air around me with heat. Shocked, I opened my eyes, only to wince. The whole world was suddenly suffused with a confusing wash of colors which overlapped with everything else. "Uuugh, this is weird," I groaned, pressing my hands over my eyes. After a moment, I cautiously opened them again. There was no change, but now I was able to distinguish things.

Rias was shrouded in a black and red aura as she stared at me, nonplussed, while a pair of vaguely bat-like wings extended from behind her. Inside her chest was a glowing red chess piece, a King. Looking down at myself, I noticed that I could see my own Evil Piece easily with a small, translucent red string extending from it to Rias's King. I glanced back at her and asked, "Has anything about me changed?"

She nodded slightly, looking pensive. "Yes. Your eyes are glowing now, and I think the pupils have become slitted. More than that, though, there's...well…" She motioned to her back, her wings flexing slightly to my eyes. I glanced behind me, but didn't see anything except for Akeno, who was standing directly over me. The sudden invasion of my personal space made me yelp, jump up and take a few steps away. However, as I moved, I became aware of an alien sensation trailing behind me, originating from my lower back. Looking down and back, I boggled; hanging from underneath my shirt, undulating and swishing lightly, was a dark purple tail tipped with a spade.

"What…the hell?" I asked slowly, my brain momentarily stalled from what I was seeing. The tail- _my_ tail -stilled as I stared. Mentally, I tried telling it to move, but it only twitched. It seemed that controlling it, if that was even possible, didn't come too easily.

"Ara, ara," murmured Akeno, walking over to me and squatting down to inspect my new tail, "A Devil with no wings but a tail? That's rare, isn't it Buchou?"

"Not so much rare as unheard of," Rias replied, frowning at the appendage thoughtfully, "Perhaps it has something to do with the Mutated Piece? I believe Devils haven't had tails since before the Great War."

I blinked at her, feeling somewhat foolish. "So, what? Have I been turned into some Devil throwback or some-_AI!"_ I gave a loud, indignant and embarrassingly high-pitched yelp as several slender fingers suddenly closed around my new tail, sending a sharp, not all that unpleasant shock up my spine. My knees buckled for a second as I staggered and then looked around. Akeno stood directly behind me, looking as innocent as possible (which was saying something), albeit a little surprised. "D-" I stammered for a second, my heart pounding and my body shaking, "Don't do that!"

She stared at me for a moment, blinking in surprise, before she giggled. "Fufufu! Quite the jumpy one, aren't you?"

As I glared at her, I noticed something with my new vision. Like Rias, Akeno had a pair of long, spiky Devil wings that honestly did not look like they would be any good for flying. However, as I watched, they would occasionally flicker between that and a different shape; larger and more bird-like, with pitch black feathers that crackled minutely with visible electricity. I didn't need to ask to know the significance of that.

"Anyway," I sighed, trying to save some face, "It seems that whatever my Sacred Gear is, I think that it gives me a sort of 'True Sight' ability. I'm seeing all these weird auras around everything. I can also see both of your Evil Pieces. In addition, I can see that the King piece is connected to the others somehow."

Rias raised her eyebrows. "Is that so? Hm…it seems like you could be seeing magic. It's rare for a newly reincarnated Devil to be so…sensitive to magic already."

I felt my tail lash out at nothing. "Well, from what you've said, it's also rare for them to have tails."

"True," she admitted readily, smiling slightly, "Well, if your Sacred Gear ever starts showing any more…concrete abilities, let someone know as soon as you can."

"Of course. Though, by someone, I assume you mean someone in the Peerage, right?"

The redhead's smile became a playful grin. "Well, yes. I'd hate for Sona- you know who she is, don't you? –to get such tactical information before I do."

"Right," I grunted.

"Excellent!" exclaimed Rias, beaming now, "Akeno, if you would call the others and ask them to come by? I'd like everyone to meet our newest member."

Akeno bobbed her head. "Of course, Buchou."

As she bustled away for a phone, I sat back down on the sofa across from my new King. For a moment, we sat in silence, staring awkwardly at each other.

"So..." I began slowly, "...watch any good anime lately?"

Rias blinked at me, then grinned.

AN: I think I'll just leave it there. Here lies the close of Chapter 3 of CoG: Waking Dreamer. I'm surprised at how quickly this got done, honestly.

Not much to add yet, so Summary Time!

1. We start off with another dream sequence. If you can guess who/what my dream-self is, I will be goddamn impressed. Hints: I dwell in the ocean and am massive in size.  
2. I wake up. Writing-wise, it probably doesn't make sense for an apartment to lack any windows, but oh well.  
3. It's just not a DxD fic without someone waking up with a naked girl. However, because of the aforementioned absence of windows, I can't see shit.  
4. Random groping around in the dark looking for clothes.  
5. Surprise! It's Akeno.  
6. Seeing as I already know about how the reincarnating thing works, I have no real reason to act surprised.  
7. It should be pointed out that I can be pretty bad at keeping my own secrets sometimes. Like, if someone else asks me to keep a secret, then I'm pretty good at keeping quiet, but myself not so much.  
8. I end up admitting to Akeno that I knew about Raynare all along. However, she kinda takes it the wrong way and thinks that my Sacred Gear has precognition, which it _doesn't._  
9. She gets dressed and teleports us to the Occult Club room.  
10. Let's be honest: if I _were_ get transported to an anime-verse, I'd definitely prefer it to be an Ecchi one above all else.  
11. Akeno is pretty suspicious of my total nonchalance to the whole situation, which I admit is kinda justified. I just didn't see the point of pretending like this was something that I didn't already know.  
12. Enter Rias. Honestly, I know that the school uniforms are supposed to be distinctive and shit, but who the hell came up with all that?  
13. So yeah, Issei took up only 7 Pawns, while I needed one Mutated piece to be revived.  
14. Aaaand I let the cat out of the bag. I know you guys will be skeptical of that choice, but I think that if Rias is gonna be my boss from now on, I shouldn't start our relationship off by keeping such a big thing secret. I like to think that I'm an honest person.  
15. Rias takes the news better than would be expected. Considering how warmhearted she is towards her Peerage, I feel like this is how she would have reacted; as long as I'm a 'family member,' it doesn't matter to her where I came from.  
16. The news that her world is a story to me is a bit of a bigger shock for her. The news that Issei was the main character, slightly more so.  
17. AU detail No. 2: Akeno has picked up Rias's habit of sleeping in the nude. They have a 'tradition' of taking turns to sleep with new Servants. Rias slept with Issei, so it was Akeno's turn to be my...bed partner.  
18. Now we're venturing into unknown territory. That is to say, my Sacred Gear. In case I haven't said this already, this is a completely original Sacred Gear. Issei still possesses Boosted Gear, though of course the Rias doesn't know that yet.  
19. I was actually kinda excited for the Sacred Gear activation scene. What'd you guys think? Was it good? And how many of you recognized the chant that I used?  
20. So, my currently unnamed Sacred Gear gives me a form of True Sight, allowing me to see if someone is a Devil, Angel or whatever. In addition, I can see auras on ordinary objects as well. Rest assured, though; this is _not_ the only ability it possesses. There will be many more to discover, and I intend to abuse the hell out of them.  
21. Also, because of certain factors, including but not limited to the fact that my Pawn is Mutated, my own Devilhood has manifested weirdly. Basically, instead of wings, I have a tail. I will show the capabilities of it in the future.  
22. In addition, certain areas of my tail (to be specific, a foot or so just below the tip) are very sensitive, particularly if grabbed without warning. Big shock for me.  
23. I can see Akeno's half-Fallen Angel heritage. That sounds kinda dirty, but whatever.  
24. And yeah, that about wraps things up.

I already know what the pairings are going to be, but for now I'd prefer to keep it under wraps. Feel free to make guesses, though.

About my other fics: I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP ON THEM! It's just that this fic has captured my attention for the foreseeable future. Same with Create New Character, and even Boundary of Dragon to an extent. However, I still have plans for CoG NOT, ANKoM and all the others. It just might take a while before I am able to return my attention to them.

Also, to those guys who have been trashing CoG: NOT, I have only one thing to say: shut the fuck up.

Also, please look at Boundary of Dragon, because I'm pretty proud of it. Go on, look at it. It's cute. And leave reviews. Preferably detailed ones.

Dunno what my next fic update, but it'll happen when it happens.

Just a warning: I've gotten into Worm recently. If any fics for that start popping up, you have advanced warning.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please leave a review or send me a PM. I doubt I need to tell you what to do if you don't like it.

North South out.


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